Nico Hulkenberg and Porsche secure historic victory

The Force India Formula One driver, in the number 19 car, produced a commanding performance along with his team-mates to secure Porsche's 17th Le Mans win.

Hulkenberg, who shares the car with Briton Nick Tandy and New Zealand's Earl Bamber, had arrived in Le Mans straight from the Canadian Grand Prix and will be heading to Austria after what has been a triumphant weekend.

Hulkenberg is the first active Formula One driver to win at Le Mans since Johnny Herbert in 1991 - when the German was only four years old.

“I’m speechless right now to be honest – it’s amazing,” Hulkenberg told Eurosport. “I’m super happy.

“Porsche is back at Le Mans with a big win. Congrats to everyone involved.”

It was a glorious win for Porsche with their 919 Hybrid and Bamber said it was "absolutely incredible to win the world's most famous race".

On his first Le Mans appearance, Hulkenberg delivered an almost faultless drive as the Porsche proved the surprise package of the iconic race, running the most reliably as all eight Porsche, Audi and Toyota LMP1 cars finished.

Having started the race,  Force India driver Hulkenberg also drove the final stint and brought the #19 car home as light rain fell to give Porsche its first Le Mans victory since 1998 having only returned to the World Endurance Championship last year.

Already the first active F1 driver to race at Le Mans since 2009, Hulkenberg becomes the first full-time F1 driver to win the 24 Hours since the trio of Bertrand Gachot and Johnny Herbert won alongside Volker Weidler for Mazda in 1991.

The number 17 car of Australian Mark Webber, New Zealand's Brendon Hartley and Germany's Timo Bernhard finished second.

Audi's defending champions Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Faessler completed the podium places in the 83rd edition of the endurance race.